Plastic explosives are frequently produced in block shape, which then need to be homogenized prior to being compacted into a molded explosive charge. C-4 explosive, for example, is produced in blocks which are not suitable for fabrication into an M-112 demolition charge. Transformation of the blocks has in the past entailed hand work, which necessarily is time consuming, expensive, and subject to quality inconsistencies.
Hand working of C-4 explosive has involved cutting the blocks into pieces of workable size. The pieces are then mashed and kneaded on a hard surface until a consistency comparable to bread dough is achieved. Because the dexterity of the individual performing this task is important, the resulting product quality is inconsistent, frequently leaving unsatisfactory lumps.
Those skilled in the art recognize that hand labor, such as heretofore been employed for transforming blocks of C-4 explosive into soft, homogeneous masses suitable for compaction into the molded M-112 demolition charge, should be avoided, in the production of a substantially lump-free sheet ready for molding into the desired shape. Speed, elimination of intense labor, and consistency are desired in order to increase the quality and decrease the cost of the resulting charge.
The disclosed invention overcomes the noted disadvantages by providing a hand operated machine for transforming blocks of C-4 explosive material into uniform, substantially lump-free sheets. The machine of the invention employs first and second spaced parallel cooperating rolls between which a block is drawn, with the result that the block becomes transformed relatively quickly and easily into a thin sheet. The disclosed invention permits the transformation to occur in approximately 30 seconds, significantly faster than the ten minutes which had been required by hand working. Not only is speed substantially increased, but the quality and consistency of the resulting product is enhanced.